Costumes
by magneticdice
Summary: Ian wants Mickey to come to Debbie's Halloween party in a costume. Part 1 of my Galloween series. Sorry for the lameness. (Gallagher Halloween Galloween). Yes, I'm one of those crazy Americans who goes a little overboard for this "holiday"... (Written for the Shameless Halloween event I proposed on Tumblr.)


**Costumes**

"Gallagher, I don't care what the fuck you say, I'm not wearing a costume."

"But Mick... it's Halloween. You _have _to..."

"I don't gotta do shit. It ain't happenin'," Mickey growled. He was getting tired of repeating himself. Why couldn't Ian just drop it?

He slammed the box he was carrying onto the floor and went to get another one from the back of the store. Ian was sitting behind the counter and watching him. There was a look of disappointment on his face that almost made Mickey want to give in... _almost_.

Dressing up for Halloween was for kids, and Mickey hadn't worn a costume in years—not since his mom used to make theirs when they were little. Mickey remembered how sad Mandy had been that first Halloween without her because she wouldn't have anything to dress up in. He'd taken his pillowcase and tied it around her neck so that she could be a superhero and had held her hand and walked her from house to house to collect candy. He also remembered beating up Jason Connolly when the fucker had teased her about her "costume." Mickey had been six.

He put the second box on top of the first. He looked at Gallagher again and huffed when he saw the redhead still pouting at the register as if it had been the one to offend him.

"You gonna sit there all day, princess? Or you gonna come help me out?" he barked.

Of course Gallagher was going to help. Mickey took out his knife and sliced the tape on the box, then pocketed it again.

"Here," he said, taking two cans out and tossing them over to the younger boy. He scowled at Mickey but dutifully placed them on the shelf. Ian didn't try talking to him at all, and after a few minutes, Mickey grew a little antsy.

"So, uh... What are you dressing up as?" Mickey asked.

Gallagher perked up a bit at Mickey's sudden interest and Mickey instantly regretted it.

"I was gonna wear my ROTC uniform but Debbie said it would be cheating. We went to Party City together and she decided I would be a vampire this year," he said with a smile.

Mickey burst into laughter and Gallagher frowned at him again. "Are you..." Mickey had to work to catch his breath, "are you fucking serious?" More laughter broke through. "What, you gonna make your skin all sparkly and shit?"

Gallagher glared at him and opened his mouth to reply but someone walked into the store at that exact moment. He'd have to save his comeback for another time.

Unfortunately for Ian, that time didn't come. The Kash and Grab was busy, for once. They didn't get to talk for the rest of the afternoon. Before he knew it, it was the end of his shift.

"The party starts at 8..." the redhead called out to him as Mickey made his way out the door. Mickey flipped him off and looked back at the kid long enough to see the dejected look on his face.

Mickey and Mandy walked to the Gallagher house together that night. His sister had dragged him there with more force than Mickey expected from her. She was dressed as a slutty maid—or maybe just a maid, but with Mandy, the slutty element was naturally added. Mickey stopped when they reached the gate but Mandy was having none of it.

"Mickey, I swear, if you don't come with me, I will kick your fuckin' ass so hard there'll be nothin' but shit coming out of your mouth for a week."

"Why do you even want me here? The Gallaghers sure as hell don't," he spat.

"Because Debbie asked me to come. She doesn't have any friends her own age and this party means a lot too her," Mandy explained, her voice low so nobody inside would overhear. "The more people come, the better she will feel."

Mickey didn't give a shit about the girl, but he knew that if she was happy, Firecrotch would be happy, so he grudgingly walked in.

Of course Gallagher would be sitting in the backyard, nursing a beer, while everyone else had fun inside. Everyone except Mickey, of course. He'd been polite (well, _not_ rude) for twenty minutes until figuring out where Ian was and making his way through the kitchen and out the back door.

"What, you think you're too cool to be stuck in there with the rest of us?" Mickey asked.

Ian turned around, startled. "Mick?"

"The one and only," he said, joining Ian on the steps. He saw Ian's face light up at seeing him and tried to ignore that stupid feeling in his stomach that he'd been getting lately every time the redhead was happy.

Mickey lit a cigarette. "So, lemme see 'em," he said, letting the smoke out.

"See what?" Ian asked, confused.

"Your fangs, dumbass."

Ian laughed. "Oh." He opened his mouth and grinned, showing off the shiny, white caps attached to his incisors. They looked pretty good; they must have been a lot more expensive than those common plastic ones. He idly wondered Ian's little sister had been the one to steal them.

Mickey held out his cigarette and Gallagher eagerly took it from him. They sat in silence through the next cigarette too.

"I'm glad you came, even if you didn't wear a costume," Ian almost whispered.

"What're you talkin' about? Who says I don't got a costume?"

Ian looked at him again and Mickey just knew the younger boy wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

Mickey pulled his hoodie to the side and revealed the bloody bite marks he'd drawn on his neck with black and red Sharpies. When he looked at Gallagher again, the boy's smile was fucking ridiculous. Mickey felt that now-familiar feeling again in his gut.

Ian looked behind him at the kitchen door. He stood suddenly and pulled Mickey with him to the side of the house. He pushed the older boy against the wall and pinned him there with his body. He pushed Mickey's head to the side, exposing the two little circles. Ian gently ran one finger down the side of Mickey's neck, then repeated the motion with his tongue. Mickey shivered.

So what if he was going to have a hickey the next morning? He'd just wear a hoodie; it was cold enough. Besides, there was no way he was going to stop Gallagher from sucking on his neck—not when it felt _that _good.


End file.
